What's your job about?
TAL is Australia’s biggest life insurer, paying $2.7 billion in claims to 39,628 customers in the financial year 2021. My first rotation in the program is in the Data and Analytics Management (DNA) team. A standard day for me would start at 8.00 am to ensure the daily reporting has been sent to the business correctly. Then at 9.00 am my team will have our daily morning meeting where we discuss what we’re working on, any progress or big achievements we’ve made, and anything we need help on. After the meeting, each day will look slightly different. A typical day’s work will be split into a couple of categories which include: meetings with internal stakeholders to discuss report requirements, report building using Power BI and SQL, and presenting/ showcasing new reports. On top of this, there is a lot of project work the team and I work on whether that is moving our data onto cloud-based storage, helping integrate data capturing processes for new software systems in our claims teams, and optimising our reporting catalogue. The main project I’ve been working on in my first rotation is the optimisation of TAL Direct’s reporting catalogue which has seen me interact with many of our internal stakeholders to determine which reports provide the most value to the business. I have then had the opportunity to build new reports that consolidate key pieces of information to help improve business efficiency.
What's your background?
I was born in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, I lived in the lower parts of the Blue Mountains my entire life until I got married in January of 2022 and moved to the city with my wife.
I went to school at St Paul’s Grammar School just north of Penrith from Kindergarten to year 12. I had several great experiences at school, having the opportunity to be school vice-captain, visiting Cambodia on a service-learning trip, and completing my Gold Duke of Edinburgh award hike in New Zealand.
After high school, I initially went to UTS and was studying Civil Engineering, however, after the first semester I wasn’t quite enjoying it. So, I took some time off and found myself working at EML a worker’s compensation insurer. During this time, I worked across several different claims teams and had some great experiences. While I was at EML I had some time to think about what I wanted to do and decided I’d go back to university and study a Bachelor of Economics at the University of Sydney. At university, I also began volunteering for Foster the Future, a charity that provides free tutoring for students in foster care and after a couple of years I became a director of the charity. During my final year of university, I began applying for several graduate programs, I was fortunate enough to be offered a position in TAL’s graduate program which I accepted.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Yes, in the Individual Life graduate program there is a broad range of areas you will be exposed to, and you aren’t expected to be an expert in all of them. While having good technical knowledge is certainly useful, much of the knowledge in the insurance industry will be learnt on the job. If you have a willingness to learn, enjoy challenges, and are motivated and proactive, you will have every opportunity to succeed. TAL’s culture is also really supportive, so if you are ever stuck, there is always someone willing to help you out.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
The coolest thing about TAL is the work we do has a real impact. TAL is Australia’s biggest life insurer, which means we have a responsibility to provide for the community when they need it most. My job at the moment has me providing reporting insights into different parts of the business. This reporting then allows TAL to provide better support to our customers and claimants. With every improvement to our reporting, I know this will improve our ability to help Australians when they need it most.
What are the limitations of your job?
Depending on which part of the business you end up in and what kind of work you’re doing, it can all be a little overwhelming. There is quite a bit to learn as TAL is such a big company with a broad range of products and functions. The life insurance industry is also constantly adapting and changing with new regulatory changes so there is always more to learn. Thankfully, the work-life balance is excellent, I’ve never had to work weekends, and the stress level is manageable.
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